In battailous aspect, and nearer view

Bristled with upright beams innumerable

Of rigid spears, and helmets thronged, and shields

Various, with boastful argument portrayed,

The banded Powers of Satan hasting on

With furious expedition; for they weened

That self-same day, by fight or by surprise,

To win the mount of God, and on his throne

To set the Envier of his state, the proud

Aspirer; but their thoughts proved fond and vain

In the mid way: Though strange to us it seemed

At first, that Angel should with Angel war,

And in fierce hosting meet, who wont to meet

So oft in festivals of joy and love

Unanimous, as sons of one great Sire,

Hymning the Eternal Father: But the shout

Of battle now began, and rushing sound

Of onset ended soon each milder thought.

High in the midst, exalted as a God,

The Apostate in his sun-bright chariot sat,

Idol of majesty divine, enclosed

With flaming Cherubim, and golden shields;

Then lighted from his gorgeous throne, for now

’Twixt host and host but narrow space was left,

A dreadful interval, and front to front

Presented stood in terrible array

Of hideous length: Before the cloudy van,

On the rough edge of battle ere it joined,

Satan, with vast and haughty strides advanced,

Came towering, armed in adamant and gold;

Abdiel that sight endured not, where he stood

Among the mightiest, bent on highest deeds,

And thus his own undaunted heart explores.

‘O Heaven! that such resemblance of the Highest

Should yet remain, where faith and realty

Remain not: Wherefore should not strength and might

There fail where virtue fails, or weakest prove

Where boldest, though to fight unconquerable?

His puissance, trusting in the Almighty’s aid,

I mean to try, whose reason I have tried

Unsound and false; nor is it aught but just,

That he, who in debate of truth hath won,

Should win in arms, in both disputes alike

Victor; though brutish that contest and foul,

When reason hath to deal with force, yet so

Most reason is that reason overcome.’

So pondering, and from his armed peers

Forth stepping opposite, half-way he met

His daring foe, at this prevention more

Incensed, and thus securely him defied.

‘Proud, art thou met? thy hope was to have reached

The hight of thy aspiring unopposed,

The throne of God unguarded, and his side

Abandoned, at the terror of thy power

Or potent tongue: Fool! not to think how vain

Against the Omnipotent to rise in arms;

Who out of smallest things could, without end,

Have raised incessant armies to defeat

Thy folly; or with solitary hand

Reaching beyond all limit, at one blow,

Unaided, could have finished thee, and whelmed

Thy legions under darkness: But thou seest

All are not of thy train; there be, who faith

Prefer, and piety to God, though then

To thee not visible, when I alone

Seemed in thy world erroneous to dissent

From all: My sect thou seest; now learn too late

How few sometimes may know, when thousands err.’